Jeremy Triche laid to rest in LaPlace

An overflow crowd of relatives, friends and law enforcement officers gathered at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church on Monday where a Mass was being celebrated in honor of slain St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Triche.

The 27-year-old from LaPlace was shot and killed along with Deputy Brandon Nielsen, a 34-year-old Destrehan resident, on Thursday while investigating the shooting of another deputy who was wounded while working a traffic detail at the Valero refinery.

Seven people have been arrested for the shootings.

Triche would have turned 28 years old Monday. He served as a member of the K-9 division for the past four years.

"It's heartbreaking, not only for the community, but for the family, as well. You really can't put words to what's going on here," colleague Ashley Deroche said.

Several members of the community said they will remember the officers as heroes.

"We are a close community. There are a lot of big families here. If you were not related to one of these officers, you had a friend that was related to them," LaPlace resident Jennifer Branton said.

Several people, including patients at the Twin Oaks Nursing Home, came out Monday to watch the procession of uniformed officers file pass on their way to the church. One attendee said they did so as a show of support.

"We just wanted to show our appreciation to all our officers. All of us have friends who are on this police force. For these guys to go out and give their lives to protect us is something very special. We just want to show their families and the other officers that we really appreicate that," Branton said.

Hundreds of squad cars and motorcycles from across Louisiana packed into the parking lot outside Triche's visitation.

A visitation will be held for Nielsen at Lakelawn Funeral Home at 5 p.m. Tuesday. A Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, followed by a salute at the officer's memorial.